The Traffic

🔥 "Justice or Betrayal? Emotions Run High as Supreme Court Seals Okpebholo’s Victory in Edo"

The gavel has struck—but not everyone is clapping.

In a final twist to the fiercely contested 2024 Edo State governorship race, Nigeria’s Supreme Court has upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo, sparking jubilation from his camp and fierce outrage from his opponent, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

With drums beating and supporters dancing outside the Supreme Court in Abuja, Okpebholo’s camp celebrated what they called “a victory for the people.” But for Ighodalo, the ruling felt less like a verdict—and more like a vicious betrayal.

“Though I accept the finality of the judgment, I cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice,” Ighodalo said in a powerful statement that resonated like a thunderclap across social media.

According to the apex court, Ighodalo and the PDP failed to prove their case. A five-member panel, led by Justice Lawal Garba, declared that claims of over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act were unsubstantiated and lacked admissible evidence. The justices noted that Ighodalo only contested results in 395 of the 4,519 polling units and called just 19 witnesses—insufficient to overturn the election outcome.

INEC had declared Okpebholo, backed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner with 291,667 votes, while Ighodalo trailed with 247,655. That declaration triggered a marathon legal battle that traversed the election tribunal, Appeal Court, and finally ended at the Supreme Court on July 10, 2025.

🎉 A Day of Triumph for Okpebholo
Emerging from the courtroom, Governor Okpebholo struck a conciliatory yet confident tone.

“This isn’t just my victory. This is a reaffirmation of the sacred mandate freely given by the people of Edo State,” he said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua.

He promised to use the victory to unite the state and fast-track development, calling it “the beginning of a new chapter anchored on unity, inclusion, and governance that delivers.”

“The elections are over. The real work of healing and development must begin,” he said, extending a political olive branch to opponents and critics alike.

😡 Ighodalo: “This Was Robbery, Not Democracy”
But while Okpebholo basks in the glow of validation, Ighodalo’s tone was fiery and defiant.

“What happened in the September 2024 governorship election was not a contest—it was a robbery. Coordinated, deliberate, and now tragically validated by the highest court in the land,” he wrote.

He didn’t mince words, accusing the system of enabling injustice and warning that Edo State would “feel the weight of this illegitimacy” through poor leadership, bad policies, and citizen suffering.

“Yes, dark days may lie ahead. But this is not the end of our story. The fight to reclaim the soul of Edo continues.”

⚖️ Legal Battle Timeline Recap:
Sept 21, 2024: INEC declares Okpebholo winner.

April 2, 2025: Election tribunal dismisses Ighodalo’s petition.

May 29, 2025: Appeal Court upholds Okpebholo’s victory.

July 10, 2025: Supreme Court closes the case—Okpebholo remains Governor.

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the 2024 Edo governorship election may be over on paper, but politically and emotionally, it remains raw, divisive, and fiercely unforgettable.

In the days ahead, all eyes will be on Okpebholo. Can he rise above the controversy and deliver for Edo? Or will Ighodalo’s warnings of failed leadership become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Time, as always, will tell.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna